Europe

Politics & Society: Europe & the EU

The Case against Europe: The disturbing contempt for democracy at the heart of the EU
By Daniel Hannan Published: 22:04 GMT, 14 August 2012 | Updated: 09:08 GMT, 17 August 2012 Over 13 years as an MEP, Daniel Hannan has witnessed first hand how Brussels works. Now he has written a forensic analysis of why it’s rotten to the core. There is a popular joke in Brussels that if the European Union were a country applying to join itself, it would be rejected on the grounds of being undemocratic. It’s absolutely true - and, believe me, it isn’t funny. Democracy is not simply a periodic right to mark a cross on a ballot paper. A protester places a EU flag on a bonfire during a riot outside the European Council hall in Gothenburg Sweden It also depends upon a relationship between government and governed, on a sense of common affinity and allegiance. It requires what the political philosophers of Ancient Greece called a ‘demos’, a unit with which we the people can identify. Lacking any natural loyalty, they have to buy the support of their electorates. Got that?

The Case against Europe: The rise — and imminent fall — of the euro...
By Daniel Hannan Published: 22:23 GMT, 15 August 2012 | Updated: 13:13 GMT, 16 August 2012 Over 13 years as an MEP, Daniel Hannan has witnessed first-hand how Brussels works. Now he has written a forensic analysis of why it’s rotten to the core. Yesterday, in part one of our exclusive serialisation, he laid bare the EU’s utter contempt for democracy. Today, he examines the rise — and imminent fall — of the euro . . . How did so many clever people get it so wrong? Yet, in every national parliament, in every central bank, in every university faculty, in every BBC editorial conference, there was a collective suspension of disbelief. Why? Sometimes I wonder if it wasn’t so much a case of them liking the euro but more that they disliked the people who opposed it. Excuses: Euro-apologists sometimes claim that Europe is suffering from a debt crisis, rather than a crisis of the single currency The issue was thus never really economic, or even political, but tribal. For two reasons.

By Daniel Hannan Published: 21:39 GMT, 16 August 2012 | Updated: 06:42 GMT, 17 August 2012 After 13 years as an MEP, Daniel Hannan's knowledge of the way Brussels works is second to none. Every nation joins the European Union for its own reasons. The burghers of the Low Countries had had enough of being dragged into wars between their larger neighbours, and the former Communist states saw membership as an escape from Soviet domination. One thing in common is that they all joined out of a sense of pessimism: that they couldn't succeed alone. What might have been: The unsuccessful 'No to Europe' campaign in 1975 Confident and prosperous nations, such as Norway and Switzerland, see no need to abandon their present liberties. Suffering from double-digit inflation, constant strikes, the three-day week, power cuts and prices-and-incomes policies, decline seemed irreversible. These historic ties had always set Britain apart from the rest of Europe. Our trade suffered, too. But that's not all.
We CAN break free from the shackles of Brussels

Abstract: As the teaching professions face rapidly changing demands, educators require an increasingly broad and more sophisticated set of competences than before. In particular the ubiquity of digital devices and the duty to help students become digitally competent requires educators to develop their own digital competence.
DigCompEdu

In January 2018, the European Commission set up a high-level group of experts ("the HLEG") to advise on policy initiatives to counter fake news and disinformation spread online. The main deliverable of the HLEG was a report designed to review best practices in the light of fundamental principles, and suitable responses stemming from such principles. The analysis presented in the Report starts from a shared understanding of disinformation as a phenomenon that goes well beyond the term "fake news". Disinformation as defined in this Report includes all forms of false, inaccurate, or misleading information designed, presented and promoted to intentionally cause public harm or for profit. The HLEG advises the Commission against simplistic solutions. The multi-dimensional approach recommended by the HLEG is based on a number of interconnected and mutually reinforcing responses. The report is now available. List of HLEG members
Final report of the High Level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation

Fortress Europe

Emmanuel, 24, Ivory Coast There was too much violence in Ivory Coast. You can’t live there. All my friends have left. My parents divorced and didn’t look after me. I looked for someone who could help me. After two days, they rescued us. Ibrahim, 29, and Sidibe, 10, Mali Ibrahim I was born in Congo-Brazzaville. One day, on television, I saw people who had made it to Italy. Sidibe It was a very long journey. Ibrahim I had done nothing, but they were armed and took me to prison. Promise, 26, Nigeria There was plenty of war in Nigeria. A man saved me from the war and took me to his house, but his wife thought I was sleeping with him. Somebody brought me to his house and told me to stay. Maryan, 20, Somalia My dad went to Canada when I was born. One day, a few years ago, al-Shabaab brought our house down. I didn’t tell anyone that I wanted to leave, initially – only a friend. Faith, 25, Nigeria My mother died when she gave birth to me. It was night-time. Omar, 30, the Gambia Kwame, 25, Ghana
‘I'd rather die at sea than stay there’: migrants on crossing the Med

Despite the greater job prospects, the number of students studying science subjects is not increasing at the European level. This seems strange, given how difficult it is to find a job in Europe right now. Is the problem with how science is taught in the classroom? This week the European Schoolnet and Scientix project of the European Commission jointly organize a series of live events on STEM education and e-skills in Barcelona, bringing experts politicians and other stakeholders together to discuss these questions and latest trends in education and technology (click here for the programme). Want to know more about science teaching in Europe’s classrooms? We had a comment sent in from Jan arguing that the problem was too many students find technical subjects complicated and boring. To get a response, we took Jan’s comment to Vitor Duarte Teodoro, a former Assistant Professor at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal. The first thing I would like to say is that it is complicated.
What's the best way to teach science? — Debating Europe

ABOUT EUROPE

Youth unemployment in the EU stood at 21% in 2015. But this figure masks huge differences between individual countries – with over half of young people struggling to find jobs in some Member States (such as Spain and Greece), and only one in ten unable to get into work in others (including Germany and Austria). We know that many of our readers are young people, and so plenty of you will have personal experience with the many frustrations of endlessly looking (and not finding) employment. What do our readers think? How would YOU help young graduates find jobs? Radical Left Fabio de Masi (Radical Left), Member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs: So, I think if we want to create jobs we need investment. Social Democrats Javi López (S&D), Member of the Committee on Employment & Social Affairs: Greens Philippe Lamberts (Group of the Greens), Co-Chair of the Group of the Greens / European Free Alliance: We need strategic investment projects. Liberal Democrats Centre Right Conservatives
How would you help young graduates find jobs? — Debating Europe

Are Europe’s schools and universities churning out graduates with useless degrees? Despite the struggling EU economy, fewer and fewer Europeans are studying so-called ‘hard’ subjects like science, engineering and maths. Since 2006, the number of ICT and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) graduates in Europe has plunged by almost 10%! In the workforce today, only half of Europeans are deemed to be ‘digitally skilled’. The situation is especially perverse when you consider that so many young people across the continent are unable to find jobs, while at the same time there are employers out there struggling to fill vacancies. Want to learn more about the growing skills gap in Europe? We had a comment from Paul suggesting that it was time to overhaul our educations systems, and “stimulate youngsters to choose studies that are truly needed within society, decreasing the skills gap”. Is he right? What do students themselves think? Well, I think you should do both things.
Are Europe's education systems 'fit for purpose'? — Debating Europe

Why You Should Visit Romania Right Now
Why You Should Visit Romania Right Now. Pack your bags, drop your plans and whatever destination you had in mind for your holiday or vacation. You should go to Romania! With breathtaking and amazing landscapes, rich and unique cultures and traditions, delicious food and warm people, Romania will pull you in and surprise you in so many ways. Piatra Mare The people are friendly and the culture very interesting Unlike other eastern European nations in the Balkans, Romanians are blessed with the warmth of a Latin culture. Shepherds Milking Sheep When I first came to Romania I thought the Romanian language was all they spoke. I’ve joined Hungarian Szekelers in their Pilgrimage in the Csiksomlyo and Straddled the Border of the old Austro-Hungarian empire. Masses In Sumuleu Ciuc It’s still relatively undiscovered and not overrun with tourist I mean just ask the average Joe in the U.S. where is Romania? Sheep Station Horse The Photogenic and Old Authentic Villages Farms in Breb Cluj-Napoca Corvin Castle

A Day in Sibiu, Romania: The Heart of Transylvania
Travel without a guide book. That’s always been how I’ve approached travel. The excitement of discovering a place through firsthand information is what motivates me to explore. Sibiu is one such discovery. Sibiu Cathedral View It’s unique architecture of medieval towers and walls with strange windows on rooftops that resemble human eyes make it an appealing place for tourists. Sibiu Main Square Reflections The German population decreased after World War 2 and eventually displaced after the communist regime took over. Sibiu Thick Tower Sibiu is surrounded by thick fortified walls and towers that you can still see today just on the outskirts of the main square and is one of the highlights of the city. Sibiu Main Square Fountain There’s a little square across the way with various restaurants and cafes with brightly colored walls. Sibiu clock towers There’s several museums in Sibiu and apparently some of the most important in Europe. Sibiu has lower and upper town. Sibiu Passageway

Social Classes in the Middle Ages
Written by Simon Newman History - Middle Ages There was a very distinctive social class system during the Middle Ages. Royalty The Royalty were the highest of the Social Classes in the Middle Ages. Kings The King was the highest authority in the land. Queens Though they did not often rule alone, Queens played an important part in the Medieval class system. Princes Depending on their birth order, a prince may have been next in line for the throne when his father died. Princesses Princesses were not usually next in line for the throne unless there was no male heir who could take the place on the throne that was being left. Nobility After the Royals, Nobility had the most power of the social classes in the Middle Ages. Hereditary Nobility Dukes The main responsibility of a Duke was to be the ruler of a province. Barons A baron was responsible first to his king and second to the people who lived on his manor. Non-Hereditary Nobility Knights Knights often served as vassals during the Middle Ages. Serfs

Ightham Mote, a 14th-century moated manor house in Kent, photo by Silver149 The parcel of land leased to a Baron by the King was known as a manor. Under the Feudal System, the Baron had complete control of the running of the manor provided he met certain obligations set by the King. Castles Most of the Barons who were given land by William the Conqueror, following his invasion and conquest of England in 1066, were French. The Church The church was another central feature of the manor. Manor House The manor house was the home of the Baron. Villeins (serfs, peasants) The largest amount of land on the manor would be used by the villeins.
Medieval Life - The Manor

Feudalism and Knights

World War II in Europe

Department of History - WWII European Theater

Background & Overview of Massacre at Malmédy

MEDIEVAL EUROPE- CITIES

The Middle Ages for Kids and Teachers - Middle Ages for Kids

The Rise of the Middle Class - Life and Money in Medieval Europe

Life and Money in Medieval Europe

Biofuel in Germany

Biofuel in Spain

Biofuel in France

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